An Act of...
by Saotome-sama
Summary: Warning this is pure camp people! For Ranma & Akane fans.


An act of...  
  
All characters and their world are the creations of Rumiko Takahashi.  
  
"Come on Nabiki!!! How much do I really owe you?" Akane yelled in that none to subtle way of hers,) as she was getting angry with her sister. For the first time in ages the two Tendo girls were eating lunch together at school. Of course everyone knew it was because Akane needed help, and Nabiki gave family discounts... or so the rumors said.  
  
"I am being serious... Are you going to eat that pork bun?... (mmmm) I can't believe you didn't want it..." Nabiki deliberately sucked on the tips of each of her fingers as if, to get the maximum amount of enjoyment from the pork bun. This was the easiest was to annoy Akane, not talking to her while talking to her.  
  
"Forget the bun already, Nabiki. You can't expect me to..."  
  
"I expect you to do exactly what I said." Nabiki sat up and with the care of an empress fixed the hem of her dress. "The next time Ranma does something nice say `thank you very much, I really appreciate what you did'."   
  
"Ranma doesn't do nice things!"  
  
"...Then you'll never have to worry about paying me off." Nabiki turned her back on her sister and walked back to the school. "...Hay if you don't want to I can always..."  
  
"NO!!!" Akane became very self aware that everyone was now watching her. Speaking softer Akane skipped a step to catch up to her sister. "...All right... I'll say it..."  
  
Nabiki laughed as she watched Akane storm into the school with every muscle from her jaw down tensed. ten... nine... eight..., Nabiki began the mental count down knowing Akane needed to let off some steam. "Akane no Baka!!!" Ranma screamed as his battered body flew through the now open window. Nabiki swore there was no possible way for her to lose the bet. Those two just hate each other too much.  
  
Much later that afternoon Ranma and Akane were making their way home, Ranma was walking next to her for once and not on the fence. Akane felt malicious glee every time Ranma favored his right leg with a slight limp. For the past twenty minuets he had been silently cursing under his breath, everything from "stupid tomboy" to things that really should have gotten him beaten senseless by Akane if they had been said.  
  
Adjusting the weight of her school bag, Akane looked down at folded page in her hand. This small item had made Ranma's life a living nightmare for almost ten whole minuets. The wind had caught it as she had been looking at it earlier. All it was, was an open invitation for try outs in a new play. The school still had literally hundreds of copes left... (Ranma hadn't known that.) Akane, although knowing how many would have printed, still forced Ranma to hurry with her to get one. As far as he knew they were already out of them. There were enough kids waiting to make one think so.   
  
When the flyer had flown from her hand, as expected Ranma laughed. When Akane turned to yell at him he was already gone, almost ready to catch it. But it wasn't meant to be that easy, fate or whatever power held sway in Nimera had sent Ranma on a hunt. It had taken over ten minuets for him to finally get the piece of paper back to her. For the bright sunny day had developed a strong breeze from the moment the slip had left her hand to when Ranma had recaptured it.  
  
She tilted her head, wondering for a moment... Why? Why had Ranma done so much for just a stupid piece of paper? When the answer hit her... it really hit her, ...he had done it for her! Ranma had nothing to gain by doing it, he had only done it to help her out. To be nice... Akane inhaled deeply realizing it was just like a lot of other little things he did.  
  
"What? Don't tell me you dropped it again..." Ranma turned when he saw she wasn't next to him.   
  
Akane looked at him, her mouth open in just the tiniest o shape. "About the paper..."  
  
"I didn't do it for you." Was Ranma's usual curt reply, cutting  
her off.   
  
Akane crushed the note in her hand, anger instantly flooding her in biblical proportions. Tilting her chin up she huffed, adjusting her bag she charged by him, almost delivering a sever body blow. Storming by she remembered her agreement with Nabiki. "Thanks... what you did was very... nice." She gagged on the last word, her anger clearly present. After that she just kept walking.  
  
Two minuets later Akane noticed something was wrong, Ranma was walking next to her, his fingers held together in the pose that said he was thinking. She could visibly see Ranma trying to gather the courage to say something... finally he did. "Uh... did you mean that?" He couldn't bring himself to look at her, his face being too red.  
  
Of course not, was to be her first response, but a rare moment of clarity stopped her. Akane caught a glimpse into his eyes and was painfully reminded of the times when his mother had shown up. That look of longing to say something so very important to his mother, and the self-damnation of not being able to. Those eyes held contentment being next to the person he loved, tempered with the strong desire of admitting he was really Nodoka Saotome's son.  
  
When Akane realized it was that same look and this time it was meant for her... Her cheeks burned from the fiery blush that covered her face. Suddenly, realizing he needed an answer Akane looked down and quietly said, "Yes." His smile started her heart up so fast she was afraid her life might have been cut short.  
  
Saying nothing more the young couple started walking again towards the dojo again. This time Akane felt great pain with every limping step Ranma took. After she adjusted her bag Ranma stopped his blush, equal in intensity to her own. Striving for the courage to speak again he stuttered. "C.. Can... I carry your bag for you."  
  
Akane had mentally readied a comeback remark waiting for the joke to come. When it didn't she knew he was serious. Something had slipped away, things had just changed between them... They would still fight she was positive about that, but now... Maybe there was a chance he might feel the same way she did.  
  
"I would have bet ANYTHING that wouldn't have worked." Nabiki grumbled to Mousse handing over the 100-yen she had lost in the bet. The two quietly watched as Ranma carrying two school bags, standing just a bit closer to Akane then usual, entered the Tendo home. Mousse just smiled knowing how much he had really won, after today Saotome could never really be thought of as a rival again. Mousse knew for sure who Ranma liked, and so did Nabiki. It would only be a matter of time before everyone else learned from her.  
  
  
THE END  
  
  
Well here's my first fanfic. I wrote this one about 3/4 years ago, wow long time huh? Well if there's anything you want to say about this please go ahead.  
  
Later,  
  
Saotome-sama  



End file.
